Prior to coaching at Ohio State, Urban was the head coach at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida. Which of those teams got better after he left?
The absurdity of this question really just struck me.
Bowling Green: They're a MAC program, so not sure what you'd expect. However, pre-Urban, they made 4 bowl games in 29 years at the D1-level. Following Urban's two years, they went 20-6 with 2 Bowl wins and have made 8 Bowls in 16 years. So, I'd say the got "better."
Utah: Pre-Urban, the Utes were a mediocre mid-major program. In 98 years, they made 8 bowls and finished the year ranked
once. Urban went 20-2 with two bowls before handing the program to Kyle Whittingham who elevated them to a consistent bowl participant (12 in 14 years with a heady 10-1 record with this year tbd), finished ranked 5 times (including #2 in 2008), and have transitioned to a Power-5 conference. They're significantly better.
Florida: We know there were issues there with him, they're well documented. But again, his record there would be nearly impossible to top and I'd argue that their choices in head coaches has played a bigger part in their struggles this decade than anything else. Muschamp and MacElwaine are both mediocre
at best head coaches. It seems Mullen (a Meyer disciple) seems to finally have them on the right path.
So, in short, 2/3 were left better than when he got there and the other had as much to do with poor hiring choices as anything else, IMO.
As I stated elsewhere, I expect some slippage within the program. Not because of anything Meyer has done wrong, but because the bar he set is impossibly high.
